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I am - I do feel passionately about the issue but in truth I have almost zero interest in the games. Can't be arsed to make a better stab at this thread. The hows and whys etc. Someone might come along and do that for me.

i don't really know anything about HR in Brazil or SA. But as far as I know there is no state encouraged, justified and ignored intimidation, violence and rape of a particular section of society. Cost of the London Olympics was outrageous but doesn't even come close in terms of ethics.

and I'm not even sure boycotting is a good thing really. (just a CG baiting thread title tbh). I decided this already after watching that Paul SImon Graceland 30 years on documentary (which is amazing btw)

that I'd want to boycott FIFA's decision to have it there rather than protest against the country itself. You could argue for either reasons obvs but I do feel disgusted with football for being so cravenly $$$ dominated and actively reinforcing terrible terrible aspects of a particular state's record - as opposed to this thing in Russia which is just a coincidence of timing.

and at the same time there are major issues with gay rights. not great but the two issues are not tightly related.

FIFA decided to put on a WC in a country where it KNEW the infrastructure would be built by immigrant workers with no rights and no health and safety, possibly even slaves, which will lead to destitution, displacement and death. AND it's not even a good place for football to be played in. It makes no sense apart from a disgustingly greedy, reckless and nihilistic perspective.

the problem is that every sport in it is just so fucking dull. It is either people going over the same runs time and time again trying to get a better time, stupid artistic ice dancing bullshit, jumps and tricks that don't look that impressive (even though they are probably really hard to actually do), curling which is just bowls but on ice with brooms, or ice hockey which is 5-a-side football but on ice and shit. There may be more but I don't really care.

I want the proper Olympics back. This shouldn't have the Olympics name, it is just for rich people in rich countries.

just a competition to do something fractionally quicker or longer by the smallest degree just for the honour of being the one who gets the highest platform for displaying their lycra clad erection to the whole world

but representatives of the lgbt community in Russia have asked that people don't and I kinda think it's up to them. some feel that boycotting the games means other countries are effectively turning their backs on lgbt people in Russia or feel that it's saying to athletes who've worked their entire lives to compete at these games that we don't agree with their decision to compete (some of these athletes are lgbt). the olympics is also a good platform to show solidarity with lgbt athletes and people in russia who are actually living through this. I think it's a different matter for political leaders because their presence/absence could actually have an impact but generally, I don't really see what a boycott is going to do to help lgbt people in russia..

People were sharing it again a few days ago. Just wish we'd let the Russian LGBT community be in charge of how the fight is fought. Stand alongside them, absolutely. Don't try to dictate what should be happening from 2000 miles away.

fuck off. a boycott is making a sacrifice for your principles over convenience/what you like/saving money, not just an opportunity to take the moral high ground and guilt trip people who actually like the thing in question regardless of the issue at hand

and the athletes who were missing out, and the political rows and how sporting bodies should respond to human rights issues.

I think the actual issue in question would have been lost in all that. I could well be wrong. We'll never know. But I think the course of events as they've happened has been very good for promoting the cause. Whether it will have any impact is up for debate. I think it might.

the overriding impression I've got from the whole situ is the powerlessness of anyone outside the country. I'm not sure either a boycott or increased awareness would be much comfort to anyone in russia getting beaten, pissed on and set on fire tbh =(